Month: March 2020

Living a fulfilling life and achieving one’s potential requires a person to be alert, focused and even active throughout the day. But this is not always an easy task. Take Anusha’s life for example. Young, well qualified, confident and articulate, she is a manager at a multinational organisation. But there’s one thing that’s coming in the way!

Between the gym, taking care of her parents, an engaging job, and her social life, Anusha works a busy schedule. And often, she misses the gym in the morning as she snoozes through three alarms, back-to-back. Sleep, it seems, is not her best friend. When she tries to sleep early at night, she either ends up texting her colleagues about work, or watching the next season of the latest drama series. As a result, she always stays awake past her bedtime and struggles to wake up fresh in the morning.

Usually groggy and late, Anusha starts her day anxiously and in a rush. Even when she finally reaches the office, she struggles to think straight and is often struggling to keep her eyes open. Passing the day in a worrisome haze, without taking the time to hydrate herself. She often skips lunch or postpones it by a few hours. Her colleagues constantly try to get her to take a break, but she often skips them too. Finally, when she leaves her office, everybody has already left. She is often unsatisfied with her work and productivity.

Once she is home, she chugs down a hot cup of coffee, and finishes off a presentation she was supposed to send out earlier. After work, she lazily finishes off her dinner, and heads to her bed right after. After tucking herself in, Anusha is unable to sleep right away. She is still thinking about her presentation and cannot stop to worry about an important meeting scheduled to happen on the next day.

However, she falls asleep determined to hit the gym the next morning, no matter what. But there she is again, snoozing through her alarms, trying to gain all the restful sleep she can. And the cycle just continues. Can you relate to Anusha? Read on, we will shortly explore some solutions!

Feeling sleepy in the middle of the day can hamper productivity and also your ability to focus and pay attention to priorities. And as we can see from Anusha’s story, this can affect all aspects of one’s life.

So, Why Do So Many People Feel Sleepy During the Day?

There might be more than one answer to that question and the reason that’s true for one person might not be valid for all. Sleep is an incredibly crucial biological process, and plays a vital role in preparing us for the next day. While sometimes there might be medical conditions causing sleepiness, we’ll be exploring the everyday instances that affect sleep and how you can overcome them.

1. Poor Sleeping Habits

The reason behind feeling sluggish, slow and even sleepy might be a simple one- you aren’t able to get sufficient amounts of uninterrupted sleep. From Anusha’s case, we know that an early morning starts the night before. Hurdles like unhealthy sleep hygiene, due to social, work or even habits, that over time can damage your circadian rhythm.

Not getting enough sleep occasionally might not be something to sweat over, but losing one hour of sleep daily can become a vicious cycle of anxiety, unrest and exhaustion. The missed hours mount up, contributing to what is popularly known as sleep debt, the accumulation of sleep deprivation.

When sleep debt is not recovered, it takes a toll on the body and can lead to groggy memory, dysfunction, mental fog, fatigue, drowsiness, and can even lead to mood swings during the day.

2. Mental Health and Stress

There is an essential relationship between mental health, stress and sleep. These factors are related to such an extent that, experiencing recurrent sleep problems increases the risk of developing increased mental stress. In Anusha’s case her sleep problem causes her continuous anxiety, and this affects her professional and personal lives on a daily basis.

To decrease stress it is advised by many practitioners to add positive emotions from new hobbies, places, aquiantances or tastes in your life. You may go at the stendup show with your friends (but don’t overdrink), crochet a sweater or simply play some online slot games with free spins bonuses and win some easy money which you may spend on something pleasant for you.
Scientists have discovered that a disruption in sleep affects stress hormones and neurotransmitters, impairing emotional responses and thinking. This way, sleeping disorders may amplify mental stress and vice versa. Your mental state can have a direct impact on the way you feel during the day and even your levels of productivity.

3. Lifestyle Factors

Lifestyle plays a critical role in the level of alertness one has during the day. Factors such as food, water consumption, level of physical activity, social connectivity, and also the nature and style of work can make a world of difference.

A healthy balanced diet, for example, will help you be alert and attentive during the day while a heavy, unhealthy meal will slow you down. In the same way, consistent hydration during the day will ensure healthy blood circulation in the brain, causing you to be in a state of awareness.
Regular exercise and regulated amounts of physical strain also provide good sleep, therefore, resulting in increased freshness the next morning.

Even our relations with others play a role, as positive social interactions cause us to be in the right headspace and can reduce stress. And lastly, the nature of one’s work affects how active one feels during the day. If one works an unengaging sedentary job, the chances of them feeling sleepy during the day are higher than someone who is meaningfully engaged at work while being able to take short breaks for physical activities.

So what’s the way out? We are glad you asked. While there isn’t a single solution, there are small steps you can take to help restore your sleep schedule:

• Begin by developing a consistent sleeping pattern by waking and sleeping at the same time, every day
• Eliminate sugar, alcohol, caffeine, and nicotine before bedtime
• Stop snoozing and wake up the moment your alarm clock goes off
• Limit naps if they negatively impact the quality of sleep you get at night
• Use the right kind of mattress, you’d be surprised how much difference a mattress can make
• Eating dinner before bed will activate the digestive system and may keep you up; hence, avoid snacking or having a meal just before bed
• Reduce stress by practising meditation and breathing techniques, either at the beginning or throughout the day
• Sleep in a quiet, and dark room with a comfortably cooler temperature

Sleep affects our daily functioning. So let’s take some lessons from Anusha’s life and start making small changes in the right direction. While big changes aren’t accomplished in one day, considerable sleep progress can be made by starting to change night time habits for the better, one night at a time. So start right away, and feel free to tell us how you’ve been able to improve your sleep and and as a result, your life too.

However, if your sleeping patterns are still getting in the way of your everyday responsibilities and basic sleep hygiene practises aren’t working for you, we recommend seeking help from a trusted healthcare provider.

Pillows are an inevitable part of your sleep every night. They can make or break your sleep life while affecting your overall mood in more ways than one. Given that pillows are used every day and are perceived to be highly durable, they might not be talked about, or even thought about, as much. However, they still play an essential role in the quality of sleep you experience every time you lie down to recharge.

Choosing the right pillow might not sound like something important, but can affect your sleep for the better or worse. Given that each person sleeps differently, the assumption that one type of pillow can suit all individuals is not only irrational but can also cause injury over a long period.

Picking up a soft pillow will rarely help. There are many factors to consider while buying a pillow, such as material, firmness, and your sleeping position too.

 Based on the sleeping position, the body requires your neck and spine to be in a particular posture to get good sleep and avoid aches. Before we delve into material and firmness, let’s figure what kind of pillow you need based on your sleeping position.

• Back-sleepers– If you are someone who spends most of the time sleeping on your back, you need a pillow that supports the upper part of your spine. Thin and flat pillows help your body maintain the natural curvature of your head, neck, shoulders and spine. This kind of pillow supports your body to relax in a good position and ensures you get great sleep without compromising on spine health and posture.
• Stomach-sleepers– Those who love sleeping with their anterior body facing the bed are called stomach-sleepers. A relatively flat and soft pillow is recommended for such sleepers as the pillow will ensure your neck and head don’t turn unnaturally to either side. It also prevents the head from rising too high, which in turn doesn’t add unnecessary pressure on the neck.
• Side-sleepers– If you are a side snoozer, you have to watch your spine! It is essential to keep the spine horizontal to avoid morning pains. A more contoured pillow is recommended for side-sleepers. The right pillow should evenly distribute the body weight and maintain the neck and head in line with the spine.

Now that you have an idea about what kind of pillow you might need let’s go further into other qualities you have to look for in a pillow.

1. Firmness- The firmness of a pillow plays a role in both comfort and health. Getting the right firmness is an experimental process. Whichever degree of firmness gives you the best sleep is most likely the right pillow for you. There are three types of firm pillows; extra soft, medium and extra firm pillows. Extra soft is recommended for stomach sleepers, and the extra firm is recommended for side sleepers. The medium firmness gives people the best of both worlds and is more suitable for back sleepers.

2. Material- Out of all the pillows, the ones made from memory foam are the most recommended. This is because of their ability to adapt to the shape of your body. Viscoelastic or memory foam pillows are made by adding particular chemicals to polyurethane which increase its viscosity level and result in more density. These pillows operate on the science of pressure sensitivity. The most significant advantage of memory foam pillows is that they help achieve neutral spinal alignment comfortably because of their shape moulding capabilities. Next time you’re looking for a pillow, be sure to try out the memory foam pillows.

In conclusion, the most crucial factor to consider while buying a pillow is to see whether the pillow helps your neck and spine be in natural alignment. Firmness and material should also be considered while deciding on a pillow as both factors play a huge role in helping you sleep comfortably. Another critical thing to remember is to change your pillow once every 18 to 36 months to get the maximum benefits from it. This may feel like an increased investment, but will significantly improve your quality of sleep and keep you ache-free. In the long term, it will also reduce the risk of spine and neck problems. So don’t compromise your health and sleep, buy the right pillow for yourself today.

Ever wondered why you are unable to focus and feel groggy in the morning while others feel fresh and are ready to go? The answer lies in the quality of sleep attained. Sleep plays a crucial role in our physical and mental wellbeing and affects our productivity levels too. Thus, it is no secret that most successful people and high-performance individuals always get adequate sleep of the highest quality. The urban populace often sacrifices sleep at the alters of work, hectic schedules and bad habits formed over a long time. While a busy schedule is probably the most common reason for poor sleeping habits, most people find it hard to incorporate adequate sleep in their everyday lifestyle because of hectic schedules. Here are five things you can do to improve your sleep quality instantly and wake up fresh every day:

Room Design – Before getting to the habits, let’s start with the environment. The environment has an impact on the quality of sleep you get. Hence, designing your room to be sleep-friendly is necessary for experiencing good sleep. Below are some changes you can make to your room to drastically improve your quality of sleep.

●       Pick the right mattress, pillows and blankets to get maximum comfort.

●       Install blackout curtains so that your room is pitch dark.

●       Keep all electronic appliances outside the room to eliminate distractions.

●       Before you sleep, reduce exposure to white light. You can use yellow light.

●       Try your best to remove any form of noise from your room.

●       Maintain your room temperature between 16-19 degrees Celsius.

2. Sleeping and waking up at the same time- Now that we have got the environment covered, let’s get into the habits. The first and most crucial habit of getting good quality sleep is sleeping and waking up early or at least at the same time every day. Sleeping and waking up at fixed times is healthy as it helps your body set its circadian rhythm and also improves the body’s wakefulness. A body’s circadian rhythm is the internal clock that regulates periods of activity and inactivity. A regulated circadian rhythm helps you stay active and alert throughout most of the day. It is better to have early timings because it is easily adaptable to your day’s schedule. It may be difficult to sleep early every night, but it is highly recommended you wake up at the same time every day and catch up on the lost hours of sleep through an afternoon nap. Waking up early also gives you more time in the morning to start your day in a relaxed manner. If you are in the habit of hitting the snooze button, it’s time to stop. The extra 5-10 minutes of sleep, which you think improves your sleep quality, actually degrades it as it disrupts your REM sleep and may cause a fight or flight response in your body which increases blood pressure and heartbeat.

3. Stay Active- The next hack to experience good quality sleep is to stay active. A keen observation you can make from your own life is how easily you fall asleep when you are exhausted as opposed to when you are full of energy. Apart from work, you could indulge in some physical activity which will tire you and improve your quality of sleep significantly. You could also use this tip if you have trouble sleeping. Instead of staying awake in bed, leave the room, indulge in physical activity for a brief period and then go to sleep. You’ll find it much easier to fall asleep.

4. Make more time for yourself in a day- We often get caught up in our social lives with very little time to spend with ourselves. Hence, we see sleep as the only time we get to ourselves and take time off it to do things we don’t have time for in the day like watching a show or scrolling through Instagram. Make it a point to accommodate time for yourself in your daily schedule. This way, you can get things done and also have healthy sleep habits.

5. Adequate hours- The last tip is to get enough sleep. We all need a minimum number of hours of sleep to function. Sleep experts recommend at least 7 hours for adults and 9 hours for children a day. Try your best to get the required hours of sleep every night. If you find it difficult, try to squeeze in an hour of sleep in the afternoon.

In conclusion, good quality sleep is an essential aspect of a healthy life. The tips above can help you significantly improve your quality of sleep instantly. Good sleeping habits, in turn, will help you have more time in a day, improve your productivity, physical and mental wellbeing too.

There isn’t a single trick in the book that will help you sleep better. Uninterrupted sleep is a culmination of various factors and depends on multiple factors like room-temperature, lighting and relaxing experiences that can help you finally hit the sack.

Here are a few tips to help you gain high-quality sleep:

1.   A glass of warm milk before bed:

Milk has been scientifically proven to contain ingredients that help induce sleep. Tryptophan, an amino acid present in milk helps the human body produce serotonin, a brain chemical that causes deep sleep by creating melatonin, a hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. Moreover, drinking warm milk before bed also has a psychological effect on individuals, allowing them to relax and sleep better.

2.   Drinking bedtime tea:

If warm milk isn’t your cup of tea, maybe an actual cup of tea might do the trick.

Herbal teas are popularly associated with relaxing effects and can also act as natural sleep inducers. Chamomile, for one, is known for its mild sleep-inducing effects. And apigenin, an antioxidant found in abundance in chamomile tea, causes a therapeutic effect, by reducing anxiety and initiating sleep.

3.   The right environment:

Factors like temperature, noise, and even the mattress and pillow affect sleep. And to get better sleep, it is necessary to optimise your sleeping environment. Prepping your bedroom by using darker shades of curtains, adjusting the room temperature to a suitable degree and investing in a comfortable mattress that suits your preferences will help you sleep better.

4.   Limit blue light exposure:

Being exposed to blue wavelengths during the day is beneficial, as it improves attention, boosts one’s mood, and increases the chances of sleeping better. However, they have disruptive tendencies at night. Exposure to blue light significantly reduces the secretion of melatonin, a hormone that influences one’s circadian rhythm or the sleep-wake cycle. Hence, it is best to avoid blue light exposure by limiting screen time before going to bed.

5.   Taking a hot bath before sleeping:

A warm bath changes your body’s core temperature by dropping it down by a notch. And in turn, this drop in temperature signals to the body that it’s time to sleep. Research conducted at The University of Texas, Austin, shows that taking a hot bath before bed helps you sleep better. Moreover, their studies show that bathing 90 mins before getting into bed with the water temperature ranging from 40 to 43-degree Celsius not only enables you to get the best quality sleep but also helps you fall asleep an average of 10 minutes quicker than usual.

Getting a good night’s sleep is now only a few simple steps away! Follow these easy, go-to steps to drastically improve both the quality and quantity of sleep you experience every night.